Department of Transportation

HILO, Hawaiʻi – The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) encourages travelers departing from the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival to plan ahead. HDOT and its partners expect high traffic leaving Hilo International Airport Sunday, April 7 and Monday, April 8 and recommend arriving at the airport three hours before the flight departure time to ensure enough time to get through ticketing and security.

Airport partners have prepared for the high volumes with additional staffing, installation of baggage screening equipment, and readying an on-call technician for security screening equipment.

HDOT reminds everyone of the following:

• Ensure your government-issued ID matches your boarding pass
• Remember to remove shoes, belts and jackets for screening (unless you meet exemption by age or are a TSA PreCheck traveler)
• Prepare your carry-on baggage and do not exceed the carry-on baggage size guidance from your airline (e.g., typically limited to bags not exceeding 22 inches long by 14 inches wide and 9 inches high and a personal item such as a purse or backpack that can fit under the seat in front of you)
• Prepare to remove any electronics larger than a phone from your bags to send through the x-ray screening
• Prepare your liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes by following 3-1-1
  • Use travel-sized containers 3.4 ounces or smaller
  • Remember to place these liquids in a one-quart resealable bag
  • Each passenger may bring one bag of appropriately sized liquids

For additional security screening tips including a searchable list of what you can bring in carry-on or checked baggage, see https://www.tsa.gov/travel

Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).

Those departing Hilo are also advised to leave all ʻōhiʻa flowers, leaves and plant parts on Hawaiʻi Island to reduce the spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD). Warning signs about the fungal disease that has killed more than one million native ʻōhiʻa trees have been posted inside the Hilo Airport. To learn more about ROD visit the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture page here.

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